Agents remain one of the most effective and cheapest distribution routes to access new clients in the modern market, a tour operator has claimed.
Speaking at the Association of Independent Tour Operators Specialist Travel Agent conference in Gdansk, Poland, Kirker Holidays sales and marketing director Ted Wake estimated it costs his business between £250 and £400 to get a new client on board.
He said this figure is a lot more than it costs to win a new customer though an agent, even once commission payments have been made.
He said: “Don’t underestimate what you can do for your tour operator.”
Wake added agents also prove an effective way for new tour operators to get their brands accepted in the current market. He said: “To get out and establish and market a new brand across the country is very expensive.”
He said agents’ recommendations of a tour operator to a customer are invaluable, as the trust the customer has in the agent is then extended to the operator.
Wake also urged agents to ensure they are actively marketing to people in their local area. He added: “If you don’t make certain you are out there selling to your clients, there’s a danger that a tour operator may well go out there and do it right under your nose.”